Folding easel



3mm 3,, 1967 D. s. HOWELL 3,%,115

FOLDING EASEL Filed Jan. 28, 1965 64 58 FIG?) i INVENTOR.

DAViD 5- HOWELL.

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan, 3, 1967 3,295,815 FOLDING EASEL David S. Howell, Royal @ak, Miclu, assignor to Arlington Aluminum Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Filed Jan. 28, 1965, er. No. 428,661 6 Claims. (Cl. 246-464) This invention relates to easels and, in particular, to folding easels.

One object of this invention is to provide a folding easel of simple yet sturdy construction having leg units which fold upward into the space behind the easel panel for storage or transportation purposes.

Another object is to provide a folding easel of the foregoing character wherein the leg units are of inverted U-shaped form of different widths pivoted to one another intermediate their ends so that the inner and outer leg units thus provided fold into substantially the same plane behind the easel panel.

Another object is to provide a folding easel of the foregoing character wherein one of the bridge portions or cross bars at the upper ends of one of the leg units is hinged to the easel panel structure or border frame while the bridge portion or cross bar of the other leg unit is temporarily and releasably held in its extended position by T-pin latches attached to a pair of folding brackets hinged to the easel panel structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a folding easel, according to one form of the invention, in its unfolded position of use;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation of the easel shown in FIGURE 1, with the folded positions of the legs indicated in dotted lines;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section, with the central portion omitted, taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 2, showing in dotted concentric circles the folded positions of the tubular legs;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged approximately horizontal section taken along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged vertical section taken along the line 55 in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive show a folding easel, generally designated 10, according to one form of the invention as consisting generally of an easel panel structure 312 provided at its upper end with a pad holder 14, at its lower end with a scissors leg unit assembly 16 held in its extended position of use by swinging brackets or arms 18. The leg unit assembly 16 consists of a pair of outer and inner leg units, generally designated 20 and 22 respectively, the outer leg unit 20 being wider than the inner leg unit 22 and the two being pivoted to one another by coaxial pivot devices 24.

The outer leg unit 20 consists of parallel outer legs 26 interconnected at their upper ends by a bridge portion or cross member 28 which is hinged by a pivotal connection at 30 to and behind the lower edge of the easel panel structure 12. The inner leg unit 22 also consists of parallel inner legs 32 also interconnected at their upper ends by a bridge portion or cross member 34 which is slightly shorter than the cross member 28 of the outer leg unit 20 so as to enable the inner legs 32 to fold into a position inside and substantially in the same plane as the outer legs 26, with the hinge devices 24 also lying in that common plane. In order to accomplish such folding into the same plane, the inner cross member 34 is disposed at a slightly shorter distance from the pivot devices 24 than the outer cross member 28 so that the inner cross member 34 lies inside and parallel to the outer cross member 28 in the folded position of the easel. The legs 26 and 32, which are preferably formed from metal tubing, are provided at their lower ends with tips or feet 36 preferably of rubber-like material to frictionally prevent slipping and marring of the floor.

The folding brackets 18 are pivotally secured by piano hinges 38 to plates 39 (FIGURE 4) which in turn are adhesively secured to the easel panel structure 12 to swing outwardly into positions projecting obliquely therefrom in the extended or open position of the easel 10, and provided with torsion springs 40 to normally swing them inwardly against the back of the panel structure 12 in the folded or closed position of the easel 10. The brackets 18 are roughly L-shaped or triangular and their outer ends 42 swing into position immediately above the inner cross member 34 and carry T-headed releasable latch pins 44 which releasably grip the edges 45 of holes in the cross member 34 (FIGURE 1) in the extended position of the easel shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The easel panel structure 12 consists of a rectangular border frame having side members 52 and top and bottom members 54 and 56 respectively. The hinges 30 of the outer leg unit 20 are secured to the bottom frame member 56, whereas the pad holder 14 is secured to the top border frame member 54. The easel panel 58 (FIG- URE 3) is secured in a groove 60 in the top, side and bottom border frame members 54, 52 and 56. These border frame members are channel extrusions, preferably of aluminum, with webs 62, short front flanges 64 and longer intermediate and rear flanges 66 and 68. The groove 6-9 in which the panel 58 is secured lies between the front and intermediate flanges 64 and 66, whereas the intermediate and rear flanges 66 and 68 define an internal border recess 70 into which the leg units 20 and 22 fold upward.

The panel 58 is of any suitable sheet materiaLsuch as sheet metal, fiberboard or plastic, with or without a chalkboard surface thereon, as desired. The pad holder 14 for holding the paper pad or flip charts consists of a pair of spaced pad holding pins 72 (FIGURE 1) secured to and projecting forwardly from the upper border frame member 54 and spaced laterally apart from one another. The pad (not shown) which lies against the front surface of the panel 58 is held in position by the elongated lower leaf '74 of a piano hinge 76, the elongated upper leaf 78 of which is secured to the top border frame member 54. The lower leaf 74 is centrally notched for the passage of the head of a central thumb screw 80, the shank of which is threaded into the top border frame member 54 midway between the pins 72. A slide bar 82 slidably secured to the lower leaf 74 adjacent its central notch slides into or out from under the head of the thumb screw 80, as more fully disclosed in my prior Patent 2,953,341, issued September 20, 1960.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the easel is in its open or upright and extended position with its outer and inner leg units held in the X formation by the brackets 18, and that the operator desires to close it for storage or transportation. To do this, the operator lays the panel structure 12 face downward upon the floor, grasps the inner leg unit 22 with one hand and each of the brackets 13 in turn in the other hand, swinging the former slightly around its pivots 24 to shift the holes 45 sufficiently to permit the heads of the T-headed pins 44 to be withdrawn from the holes 45. This action unlocks the brackets 18 from the cross member 34. The operator then swings the inner leg unit 22 in a counterclockwise direction around the hinge devices 24 so that it moves into substantially the same plane as the outer leg unit 20 with the inner cross member 34 immediately below and parallel to the outer cross member 28. The operator then swings the thus-cO-planar leg units 20 and 22 bodily upward as a unit around the hinges 3%) as a pivot axis until they lie against the back of the panel structure 12, meanwhile holding the brackets 18 apart for the leg units 20 and 22 to pass between them. As a final step, the operator permits the torsion springs 40 of the brackets 18 to swing them inwardly toward one another as in FIGURE 4, until they overlie the leg units 20 and 22 and assume positions with their planes parallel to the plane of the easel panel 58. The legs 26 and 32 then occupy the dotted line positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3.

To open and extend or set up the easel 10, the operator reverses the procedure described above, first swinging the outer and inner leg units 20 and 22 downward away from the panel structure 12, then swinging the inner leg unit 22 clockwise relatively to the outer leg unit 20 until these resume the letter X formation when viewed in side elevation (FIGURE 1). Finally, he swings the two brackets 18 outward away from the panel structure 12 until their T-headed pins 44 lie over the holes 45 in the inner crossmember 34, whereupon he pulls the latter upward so that the T-headed pins hook under the edges of the holes 45 (FIGURE uniting the component parts of the easel into a rigid structure. To install a paper pad upon the easel, the operator first loosens the thumb screw 80, retracts the slide 82, swings up the lower hinge leaf 74, aligns the perforations in the pad with the two pins 72 and pushes the pad upon the pins 72. He then lowers the lower hinge leaf 74 so that its notch passes over the head of the thumb screw 80 and it drops in front of the upper portion of the pad. He then slides back the slide bar 82 beneath the head of the thumb screw 80 and finally tightens the thumb screw 80 to lock the lower hinge lead 74 solidly in position.

The easel 10 is then used in the same manner as other easels, either as a support for flip charts or for the making of sketches while the user delivers a talk in the manner of the so-called chalk talk. The user turns the sheets upward and over the top of the pad holder 14 as he finishes with each sheet. It will be understood that in place of the paper pad or stack of flip charts, a fiberboard sheet which is penetrable by thunitacks may be similarly hung on the pins 72 and used for the mounting of articles by thumbtacks, adhesive tape or the like.

What I claim is:

1. A folding easel, comprising a generally upright easel panel structure having a lower portion with a pivotal connection thereon,

an outer leg unit having an outer cross member pivotally mounted in said pivotal connection and swingable upwardly and rearwardly therearound from a ground-engaging panel-supporting position of said outer leg unit below said lower portion of said easel panel structure to a storage position thereabove behind said panel structure, said outer leg unit having outer legs secured to and projecting transversely from said outer cross member,

an inner leg unit having an inner cross member of shorter length than said outer cross member disposed in spaced parallel relationship therewith and having inner legs secured to and projecting transversely from said inner cross member,

pivot means pivotally connecting said inner leg unit to said outer leg unit upon a pivot axis spaced away from said cross members,

and means extending from said easel panel structure to said inner leg unit for releasably holding said inner leg unit in angular inclined relationship to said outer leg unit.

2. A folding easel, comprising a generally upright easel panel structure,

an outer leg unit having an outer cross member pivotally connected to the lower portion of said easel panel structure and having outer legs secured to and projecting transversely from said outer cross member,

an inner leg unit having an inner cross member of shorter length than said outer cross member disposed in spaced parallel relationship therewith and having inner legs secured to and projecting transversely from said inner cross member,

pivot means pivotally connecting said inner leg unit to said outer leg unit upon a pivot axis spaced away from said cross members,

and means extending from said easel panel structure to said inner leg unit for releasably holding said inner leg unit in angular inclined relationship to said outer leg unit,

said holding means including a swinging member pivotally connected to said easel panel structure and swingable relatively thereto in an approximately horizontal direction into releasable locking engagement with said inner cross member of said inner leg unit.

3. A folding easel, according to claim 2, wherein said swinging member has a latch element thereon releasably engageable with said inner cross member of said inner leg unit.

4. A folding easel, comprising a generally upright easel panel structure,

an outer leg unit having an outer cross member pivotally connected to the lower portion of said easel panel structure and having outer legs secured to and projecting transversely from said outer cross member,

an inner leg unit having an inner cross member of shorter length than said outer cross member disposed in spaced parallel relationship therewith and having inner legs secured to and projecting transversely from said inner cross member,

pivot means pivotally connecting said inner leg unit to said outer leg unit upon a pivot axis spaced away from said cross members,

and means extending from said easel panel structure to said inner leg unit for releasably holding said inner leg unit in angular inclined relationship to said outer leg unit,

said easel panel structure including an open-centered border frame having laterally-spaced opposite side frame members and vertically-spaced top and bottom frame members interconnecting said side frame members, and also including an easel panel mounted upon said border frame, said outer cross member being pivotally connected to said bottom frame member, said outer and inner leg units being swingable around said pivot means into substantially coplanar relationship and also swingable unitarily around said outer cross member upwardly and rearwardly behind said easel panel into substantially parallel relationship therewith.

5. A folding easel, according to claim 4, wherein said frame members comprise inwardly-facing channel members and wherein said easel panel is secured to said frame members forwardly thereof and defines an open-backed compartment receiving said outer and inner leg units in 5 their upwardly and rearwardly swung positions thereof behind said easel.

6. A folding easel, according to claim 5, wherein said holding means includes a pair of swinging arms pivotally connected to said side frame members and swingable relatively thereto toward and away from said easel and one another in approximately horizontal directions from retracted positions adjacent said easel panel to extended positions projecting outwardly therefrom into releasable locking engagement with said inner leg unit.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Lotz 40-125 Egyed 248464 Howell 248--464 Huffer 248463 Dompieri 248464 X CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 10 R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FOLDING EASEL, COMPRISING A GENERALLY UPRIGHT EASEL PANEL STRUCTURE HAVING A LOWER PORTION WITH A PIVOTAL CONNECTION THEREON, AN OUTER LEG UNIT HAVING AN OUTER CROSS MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID PIVOTAL CONNECTION AND SWINGABLE UPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY THEREAROUND FROM A GROUND-ENGAGING PANEL-SUPPORTING POSITION OF SAID OUTER LEG UNIT BELOW SAID LOWER PORTION OF SAID EASEL PANEL STRUCTURE TO A STORAGE POSITION THEREABOVE BEHIND SAID PANEL STRUCTURE, SAID OUTER LEG UNIT HAVING OUTER LEGS SECURED TO AND PROJECTING TRANSVERSELY FROM SAID OUTER CROSS MEMBER, AN INNER LEG UNIT HAVING AN INNER CROSS MEMBER OF SHORTER LENGTH THAN SAID OUTER CROSS MEMBER DISPOSED IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH AND HAVING INNER LEGS SECURED TO AND PROJECTING TRANSVERSELY FROM SAID INNER CROSS MEMBER, PIVOT MEANS PIVOTALLY CONNECTING SAID INNER LEG UNIT TO SAID OUTER LEG UNIT UPON A PIVOT AXIS SPACED AWAY FROM SAID CROSS MEMBERS, AND MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID EASEL PANEL STRUCTUREL TO SAID INNER LEG UNIT FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING SAID INNER LEG UNIT IN ANGULAR INCLINED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID OUTER LEG UNIT. 